Thursday, May 8, 2014

Ruthless People by JJ McAvoy... review by Dawn






Blurb
To the outside world, they look like American Royalty, giving to charities, feeding the homeless, rebuilding the city. But behind closed doors is a constant battle for dominance between two Bosses, cultures, and hearts.

Fury burned in his eyes as he breathed roughly through his nose. “My mother told me never to hit a woman, but you are pushing my limits.”
“Funny, my father told me the same thing. Would you like me to apologize?” I pushed my thumbs to his eyes, forcing him to let go of my throat.
We fought and struggled on the ground like savage animals before he picked me up and threw me into the nearest wall.

Ruthless People is a romantic crime fiction set in modern day Chicago, following the life and marriage of Melody Nicci Giovanni and Liam Callahan—rivals by blood and leaders through fear. Their marriage was arranged by their fathers in hopes to end years of bloodshed between the Irish and the Italians.
Liam, next in line to lead the Irish, believes he’s getting a simple-minded wife, one he can control, one who bends to his every need . . . the complete opposite of Melody. Bred to be a Boss, a world-class marksman, master of disguise, with no mercy and no fear. Twenty-four years later, she has archived more than any man could even dream of, killing anyone who steps in her away. She knows exactly what type of man Liam is, and she would rather die than give up the power she has spent her whole life building. But with no other family left, she must not only learn to work with Liam, but the whole Callahan clan.
The Mafia of the past is evolving, and with rival bosses gunning for them, Melody and Liam will have to figure out how to work as one to take down those who stand in their way, all while keeping up appearances.
Power, Family, and Respect are everything.




When the opening line in a book is this...

"There are four kinds of homicide:
felonious, excusable, justifiable, and praiseworthy."

You know you are about to dive into something that is going to blow your mind!

I ran across this,  piece of deliciousness when trolling publisher pages. I read the blurb and was on a mission to GET THIS BOOK! I even reached out to JJ McAvoy via Facebook, telling her just how bad I wanted to get my hands on Ruthless People...Yes, one could say I was begging and checking the publisher website multiple times a day... and BOOM there she was one day... I remember kicking and screaming "YES, YES...HELL YES!" 

First off, I am so glad someone finally wrote a STRONG, SMART, SEXY, TAKE NO CRAP kinda leading lady. Melody "Mel" Giovanni, is all of the above and more. Unafraid, unapologetic and would shoot you in the face for just looking her in the eye! I LOVE HER!  Raised her entire life as the Mob Princess. Her father Orlando "Iron Hands" Giovanni, is the King of the Italian mob. Her mother Aviela died when Mel was young. After her mother's death, her father basically hid her from the world, homeschooling her, sending her to small community college in the middle of nowhere. Safe... Melody, is not looking for love, didn't need it or want it. Love is for the weak and she was anything but weak. It was a very little know secret that Mel was running things and had taken over the Giovanni Mob... 

~I was the head of the Giovanni Empire now, a fact that no one other than my men and my father were aware of. The world still believed he was Boss, but since the age of eighteen, everything-the drugs, the hits, the money- had been run through me because my father was dying. The great Orlando "Iron Hands"Giovanni was dying of stage four colon cancer. ~

Liam  Alec Callahan, the second son of Sedric and Evelyn Callahan..Irish mafia King. His whole life he was groomed to be the leader one day. Graduating high school at fifteen, Dartmouth at twenty. Born to lead...
Liam, was as lethal as Melody, not thinking twice about setting a man or his family on fire, for simply interrupting him. Liam, wanted a wife that would submit to his will, shut her mouth and give him children. Love would come in time. The merging of two of the most powerful mob families in the world, was giving him the power he wanted and a wife to stand quietly at his side. Only to recognize him as "Ceann na Conairte"
  • Rule One: You kill for family. You die for family. Because you can't trust anyone else.
  • Rule Two: Take no prisoners and have no regrets about it.
  • Rule Three:Just because you sell drugs for a living isn't an excuse not to dress well.
  • Rule Four: NO bloody divorce.

I really have no idea where to start and not give you every detail about this amazing story. I was "in it" from the very beginning. I was intrigued how this was going to play out... 2 Mob Bosses trying to coexist in an arranged marriage. The first meeting of Liam and Melody consists of someone being waterboarded, killing a pregnant woman, a massive beat down between the intended "fiancee's" leading to one of them shooting the other... 
He was known as the "Boogeyman of the East," and I was the unknown "Wicked Witch of the West."

"My mother told me never to hit a woman, but you are pushing my limits."
"Funny, my father told me the same thing. Would you like me to apologize?" I pushed my thumbs to his eyes, forcing his hands to let go of my throat.

I was laughing and knew at that very moment that this was going to be so much fun to read! I know this is listed as "Erotica/ Fiction" and it does live up to that... but I was laughing alot... The banter between Melody and Liam was really fun to read. This story had enough drama to keep you on the edge of your seat, reading fast so you could get to what was going to happen next.  The story is very Sexy. I mean when you have two leading characters who are as intense at Mel and Liam, you know the sex is going to be explosive!!! And TRUST, it is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I loved how both Liam and Mel evolve into people who could work together, learning to trust one another and eventually love each other. The dynamic of these two was so well written. They both had a past that was not all smooth sailing. Liam had suffered at the hands of others when he was young, learning quickly that family sometimes lets you down.. only to rise at the next challenge.  Mel, had suffered a grave loss and unimaginable fear, that still caused her problems.  But when they came together great things were possible.

"What do you want from me, Liam?"
I wasn't sure how to answer this without...without sounding like a pansy. But I knew if I lied she would know, and the last thing our relationship could handle was a lie, whether it was big or small.
"I want you to love me." I said softly. "But if not,then I want it to be the closest thing to you loving me. I want your loyalty. I want your honesty. I want you by my side and no one else's. I want your body. I want your mind. I want to know your hopes and dreams so I could one day make them reality."
I paused, knowing the sicker, inner-darkness part of me was about to speak. But that was who I was, and I wanted her to know it. I hadn't even realized I wanted it until now.
"I want you to be willing to kill for me. I want you to be the same killer I am and not flinch away from blood alongside me. I want yo to help me take down every fucker who stands in the way of a 
Callahan."


Ruthless People is exactly what they are... and I loved every awful thing they did together. My head was spinning when a curve ball was thrown at Liam and Mel. I did not see it coming. Thinking it would make them "soft" and pleasantly surprised when it didn't. Events unfold and bad things happen that almost break them. But, just like you learn while reading... Family takes care of family. The cast of family members is really well written. You really get the depth of this family.

The last few chapters are bloody and full of information, that I pray to the MOB GODS are leading to book 2. I had one of the biggest Mind F$%KS, ever while reading the epilogue... (I do love me an epilogue!) And people its a doozie! 
You will hear me talking about this book for a while, it releases in July and I really can not get it out of my head. I am usually a sucker for a dark gritty Motorcycle Club... BUT HONEY, the MOB is becoming my new delicious habit!!!

Please I beg, put this book on your TBR.. it is such a great read!!! 
I am giving Ruthless People by JJ McAvoy 5+ clocks...










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